Hamilton--Who Needs a Systems Integrator?

Need a new workstation? Just look in the latest Mac Warehouse catalog or local computer shopper. Software upgrade? Check out the developer's Website.

Given the commodity nature of the computer industry, who needs an integrator? And what is a systems integrator anyway? What value do they bring to the party?

Integrators are the back-room folks who make all that "stuff" work together. Perhaps more important, they are the ones who fix it when it doesn't. Can't get Color Central to print correctly? Of course, you know that you can only use specific drivers—or nothing will print. Installing a server running Windows NT 4.0 and can't get volumes to appear on the client Macintoshes? Why, everyone knows that bug requires Microsoft's service pack No. 2.

The fact of the matter is that most people don't know. They're too busy trying to meet the day's deadlines.

Staying in Business
Given that most prepress operations are small businesses with limited technical resources, integrators provide the support and service that can be crucial to staying in business. In many respects, relying on an integrator is like having an insurance policy: You only learn how much it's worth when the chips are down.

For example, if you have to get a job out the door by 5 p.m., and you don't have a clue as to how to get your Macs to "see" those volumes, an integrator is probably in a better position to solve the problem faster than Microsoft or Apple. That's because the integrator is a service-oriented business.

"Buying the equipment solves nothing," asserts Stephen Shinnick, vice president of sales for All Systems Integration, a Woburn, MA-based integrator. "There are still many issues to resolve. The role of the integrator is to know where each piece of technology fits—and how they interact with one another."

Take computer-to-plate. Is this a technology that your firm is ready to adopt? What additional hardware and software is necessary to keep the platesetter—and, therefore, the press cylinders—humming along at top speed? A good integrator will understand not only the maturity of the technology, but also the prepress environment in which it must operate to make sure they are complementary.

In addition to installation and technical support, a good integrator functions like a radar system on a ship—scanning the horizon for any technological developments that will impact the prepress industry. Whereas, until recently, the industry was focused on productivity at the desktop, now it's moving to overall system throughput—workflow.

Staying Abreast of All Those Technologies
Then there's the endless stream of new technologies, and staying abreast of all the new tools is a job in and of itself. "There's a constant dynamic going on," observes Shinnick of the vendor community. "It used to be companies like Scitex, now it's Creo. We have to stay one step ahead and provide guidance."

Today, much of that guidance is coming in the form of how to integrate the Internet into prepress operations. Far beyond a slick Website, many prepress operations need to provide a secure FTP site for clients to upload and downlaod files during production, remote proofing and databasing.

Given the plethora of direct sales firms such as Dell and Mac Warehouse, some integrators—especially the good ones—prefer to let you buy the hardware yourself, or through them for little more than cost plus a few points to cover the hassle. And while dealers want to sell systems to get the ongoing consumables contract, they struggle with the hard-core technical issues in which integrators excel. Although there are many competent systems people in the dealer channel, they are "maxed out" and can't cover all the bases.

Integrator's Value-added
The integrator's value-added comes in making complex hardware and software configurations work over single and distributed sites—and includes ongoing service to deal with the inevitable crashes.

Interestingly, good integrators also help their clients with the financial aspects of technology investments. Beyond providing them with an optimistic spreadsheet, a good integrator will show clients exactly where savings are coming from and how to sell it to their own bosses. All Systems, for example, helped American Power Conversion (APC), a Rhode Island-based manufacturer of uninterrupted power supply systems, build its own in-house prepress department from scratch, as well as recruit trained staff and manage the transition with its prepress suppliers. Not only was APC able to recoup its investment in less than a year, but it has been able to use additional savings to expand into post-edit video gear to produce the firm's own television commercials.

With the critical issues of prepress moving away from the Macintosh toward more systems-related design and engineering, many prepress operations face a difficult transition, too. Whereas there are many competent desktop production people, there are far fewer who understand the nuances of Windows NT or the myriad types of UNIX under which servers operate. Integrators can provide guidance in installing the most appropriate technology and, more important, the support to make the hardware and software perform as it was designed.

But then again, maybe you and your staff will find the right driver for Color Central in time to make the press run by 5 p.m.

—Alex Hamilton

About the Author
Alex Hamilton, a former technical editor with Printing Impressions, is president of Computers & Communications Consulting, which specializes in digital technologies for printing and publishing. He can be reached at (215) 247-3461 or by e-mail at alexh@candcc.com.